Major Oscar Comebacks
Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath (top); Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond (bottom)
Below are the performers and directors who had a 20-year or longer gap between Academy Award nominations.
Unless otherwise noted, the nominations are for leading roles; years in bold means Oscar wins.
41 years between nominations
Henry Fonda (1940, The Grapes of Wrath — 1981, On Golden Pond)
38
Helen Hayes (1931-32, The Sin of Madelon Claudet — 1970, supporting, Airport)
Jack Palance (1953, supporting, Shane — 1991, supporting, City Slickers)
Alan Arkin (1968, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter — 2006, supporting, Little Miss Sunshine)
35
Ralph Richardson (1949, supporting, The Heiress — 1984, supporting, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes)
33
John Huston (director) (1952, Moulin Rouge — 1985, Prizzi’s Honor)
32
Lynn Redgrave (1966, Georgy Girl — 1998, supporting, Gods and Monsters)
28
Paul Scofield (1966, A Man for All Seasons — 1994, supporting, Quiz Show)
27
Richard Harris (1963, This Sporting Life — 1990, The Field)
26
James Whitmore (1949, supporting, Battleground — 1975, Give’em Hell, Harry!)
Julie Christie (1971, McCabe and Mrs. Miller — 1997, Afterglow)
24
Christopher Walken (1978, supporting, The Deer Hunter — 2002, supporting, Catch Me If You Can)
Peter O’Toole (1982, My Favorite Year — 2006, Venus)
23
Fay Bainter* (1938, White Banners, and 1938, supporting, Jezebel — 1961, supporting, The Children’s Hour)
William Holden (1953, Stalag 17 — 1976, Network)
Mickey Rooney (1956, supporting, The Bold and the Brave — 1979, supporting, The Black Stallion)
22
Charles Laughton (1935, Mutiny on the Bounty — 1957, Witness for the Prosecution)
Paul Muni (1937, The Life of Emile Zola — 1959, The Last Angry Man)
Roman Polanski (director) (1980, Tess — 2002, The Pianist)
21
Gladys Cooper (1943, supporting, The Song of Bernadette — 1964, supporting, My Fair Lady)
Jean Simmons (1948, supporting, Hamlet — 1969, The Happy Ending)
Richard Farnsworth (1978, supporting, Comes a Horseman — 1999, The Straight Story)
20
Gloria Swanson (1929-30, The Trespasser — 1950, Sunset Blvd.)
Wendy Hiller (1938, Pygmalion — 1958, supporting, Separate Tables)
John Wayne (1949, Sands of Iwo Jima — 1969, True Grit)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz (director) (1952, 5 Fingers — 1972, Sleuth)
Alec Guinness (1957, The Bridge on the River Kwai — 1977, supporting, Star Wars)
Ellen Burstyn (1980, Resurrection — 2000, Requiem for a Dream)
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Tags: Academy Awards, Fay Bainter, Film Awards, Helen Hayes, Henry Fonda, Jack Palance, Julie Christie, Lynn Redgrave, On Golden Pond, Ralph Richardson, The Grapes of Wrath
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